My companion and I were alone with the stars: the misty river of the Milky Way flowing across the sky, the patterns of the constellations standing out bright and clear, a blazing planet low on the horizon.

I got a call from a neighbor who said there was a milky plume flowing down the river.

Some of the stars in this Milky Way companion have been seen with telescopes for centuries. But because the galaxy is so close, its stars are spread over a huge swath of the sky, and they always used to be lost in the sea of more numerous Milky Way stars. This galaxy is so big, we couldn't see it before.

You can never step into the same river; for new waters are always flowing on to you.

Across the River and Into the Trees.

Paint the Sky with Stars